A Major Local TV Station Owner Inks A New ABC Deal

Last week the incoming Chairman of the FCC gained attention for a letter sent December 21 to the CEO of The Walt Disney Company addressing his concerns over allegedly heavy-handed network affiliation agreements and “reverse retrans” fees paid by station owners to the network that seemingly subsidize over-the-top streaming services such as Hulu and Disney+.

On Monday (12/30), one key deal ensuring stations affiliated with the ABC Television Network won’t be engaged in a programming shift anytime soon was confirmed.

NYSE-traded Gray Television has entered into agreements with Disney that extend and renew the network affiliations for all of the company’s ABC affiliates, found in some 25 markets across the U.S.

It’s a three-year agreement, with an expiration date of December 31, 2028.

In prepared comments, Gray President and co-CEO Pat LaPlatney said, “We are pleased to announce the further extension of our decades-long relationship with Disney for ABC station affiliations. These agreements recognize our ABC affiliates’ commitment to public service and will help them continue to serve their communities.”

Susi D’Ambra-Coplan, Sr. VP of Affiliate Relations at The Walt Disney Company, commented, “Disney/ABC is incredibly proud of our long-established partnership with Gray to serve 25 outstanding communities across the country. With this new agreement, we couldn’t be more pleased to pair our best-in-class network shows, news and sports with their invaluable local programming for many more years to come.”

The ABC affiliated television stations covered by the new agreements are: